Product Description

A proven method for building dream teams at work - finding and keeping the best talent in every slot Great companies don't just depend on strategies - they depend on people. The more great people on your team, the more successful your organisation will be. But that's easier said than done. Statistically, half of all employment decisions result in a mis-hire: The wrong person winds up in the wrong job. But companies that have followed Bradford Smart's advice in Topgrading have boosted their successful hiring rate to 90 percent or better, giving them an unbeatable competitive advantage. Now Smart has fully revised his 1999 management classic to reintroduce the topgrading concept, which works for companies large and small in any industry. The author spells out his practical approach to finding and managing A-level talent - as well as coaching B players to turn them into A players. He provides intriguing case studies drawn from more than four thousand in-depth interviews.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #126465 in Books
• Published on: 2005
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 592 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
The key to building a superior company, an increasing number of observers now agree, is the ongoing ability to recruit and retain superior personnel. In Topgrading, industrial psychologist and global consultant Bradford Smart expands upon this idea by examining in great detail exactly how today's premier organisations have assembled such top-level employees, and then showing precisely how others can do it, too. "Simply put, topgrading is the practice of packing the team with A players and clearing out the C players," Smart writes. "A players is defined as the top 10 percent of talent available at all salary levels--best of class. With this radical definition, you are not a topgrader until your team consists of all A players. Period." Essentially a best-practices manual for developing this outstanding personnel pool, the book is based on more than 4,000 interviews and case studies conducted by Smart at major corporations like General Electric as well as fast-growing high-tech companies and small family-owned firms. He further bolsters its effectiveness by including his extensive "Chronological In-Depth Structured Interview Guide," along with other assessment tools and hands-on strategies for assembling an ideal work team. --Howard Rothman, Amazon.com

About the Author
Brad Smart PHD is a world renowned management phsychologist and consultant with more than 30 years in practice. His clients include many Fortune 500 companies in all industries.

Customer Reviews

An extremely useful book based on solid research.
Based on solid research, this book introduces the concept of topgrading-filling every position in the organization with a top candidate at the appropriate pay level. Topgrading is a process involving: seeking out, hiring and retaining top people; using the best assessment methods to make less than 10% mistakes in hiring and promoting; improving current staff through coaching; redeploying employees who are not performing at highest level to a position in which they can excel; and achieving inclusivity goals without lower performance standards. A chapter devoted to self development focuses on fifty management competencies and is of particular usefulness. Other guides and aids are presented for interviewing and self appraisal. This is an extremely useful volume.

Brad Smart knows what he is talking about BUT!!!!!!
I have read this book and conclude that most of the information is accurate in my experience. I think that Brad could TOPGRADE his style, however. The chest puffing gets tiring, his arrogance makes me gag and in general detracts from the potency of the book. This method is "no silver bullet" it works and can be difficult to implement. I also didn't care to read about Brad's property investment property and how he has Topgraded his help. .....Please lighten up Brad.

Woody Daroca Denver, Co.

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"Topgrading is based on the author's experience assessing and coaching over 4,000 managers. Although half of the book talks about corporate topgrading programs, that's not for me. I was interested in the half of the book devoted to managers. I'm a newly promoted manager, and I learned how to hire the best people. Topgrading also showed me how to develop myself to be an 'A player'. The author helped me identify my developmental needs. Topgrading gives 3 or 4 suggestions for improving each of 50 different competencies. AWESOME!"

Chris Mursau